Green’s Dictionary of Slang

venereal disease.

[c.1710		‘Venus Unmasked’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) II 181: Claps, Mishaps, and teazing Pains, / That do from Venus spring].
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 92: Venus’ Curse, venereal disease.
1994		P. Baker Blood Posse 97: You ain’t got to feel no guilt about me catching the curse.